Recent content by lizziemt

Well this thread is interesting. Over the past ten years we have had 0 chicks or chickens who would turn up their beaks at mealworms of any sort. They also love sour grass, which looks like clover but forms yummy seed pods, and is a totally FREE treat. Thank goodness.

I agree with Sixandahalfacres, the light is making them active too early in the day for you! Chickens have poor eyesight and won't want to wander around in a darkened environment. Curtains!

Thanks! We have them in a makeshift brooder. We'll have to come up with something more substantial when they reach 3-4 weeks.

We had a broody hen, gave her a clutch of eggs and she hatched a single live chick. Maybe the rooster was too young to fertilize eggs, maybe other chickens managed to mess with the broody or eggs too much, probably a multitude of fails with this experiment. Seeing the failure, we got some...

Can you tell if this 4 month old Buff Orpington is a pullet or a cockerel? He/she is making long gutteral sounds that I think might be an attempt to crow. The comb is much more developed than the other girls. I'm hoping it's a she!

Thanks, aart! I didn't see your post until after I wrote the message above. The young ones are 4 months old. One of them crowed yesterday, I think it was Dusty, but we have one BO with a very large comb. We've had girls with large combs, though, so I won't know unless I hear 2 roosters...

Thanks,, Mrs. K, I agree. We've had hens for several years and had no intention of having a rooster, but sometimes that's what you get when you buy unsexed chicks! I think our experience to date did inform us so that we could act quickly when something was wrong. Update: I separated Dusty...

We've taken a very slow approach to introducing new chickens. First we house them separately in the same building, where they can hear but can't see one another. We typically hold at that step for a month. Then we let them see one another through fencing. Once they have become disinterested...

You might be interested in a book called Buddy, written by Brian McGrory. It's sub-titled "How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man". It chronicles the writer's experience with a solitary rooster. A very touching and quick read.

Hens are very flexible. One will fill the leadership void and assume the function of a rooster. No doubt more kindly. I wouldn't feel badly about doing what's best for your flock. Changing any animal's behavior can be a difficult process, and it's not always feasible to spend the time...

Thanks, centrarchid, yes Goldie is a little "off" - a bit slower than the rest. She's always been the smallest of the group. I'll keep a close eye on her. To date, Dusty is the only chicken who's picked on her, specifically.

Thanks, mosander, I appreciate an alternative view. I'm willing to try something short of getting rid of Dusty, and he loves his oatmeal and I'm sure would hate the cold water treatment. We can try positive and negative reinforcement. But while we experiment I'm going to get in touch with...

I've managed to get Dusty clear of the other hens. He can see them through screening but can't get to the other girls. The other girls have settled down. Dusty has stopped flapping and yelling from the top roost. A temporary peace. We're considering our options! I appreciate your message...

Jet, this is our first cockerel and I do worry that it's just a matter of time until he starts in on someone else. Thankfully right now he is very averse to we humans, but I know that could change. Thanks for your advice, as we have no roo experience we don't know what's normal. And I agree...